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| 2. Complete your FAFSA | Now | 1. Complete your 2007 Tax Return; 2. log on to http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ to complete the FAFSA form; 3. submit FAFSA | Robyn Kinch, STH Financial Aid Coordinator, rkinch@bu.edu | July 15th |
| 3. Complete STH Financial Aid Application | Now | Visit http://www.bu.edu/sth/students/financial/finaid_form.html and complete the form. | Robyn Kinch, STH Financial Aid Coordinator, rkinch@bu.edu | July 15th |
| 4. Secure housing in Boston | Now | Finding housing in Boston can be a long process, but the Admissions Office can help. Consider questions like "do I want to live in an apartment or dorm-like space?" "Do I want to have my own room, or am I willing to share with a roommate?" "Do I want to live on or off-campus?" "How much can I afford to spend per month on housing (please remember that, on average, single rooms in Boston are approximately $700 per month and apartments begin at $1000 per month)?" Answer those questions first, and then check out the "housing" section of this website. You'll find several options there, and resources for securing a space for the fall. | Admissions Office, sthadmis@bu.edu or 617-353-3036 | August 1st - but the sooner, the better |
| If necessary, begin working with the Office of Disability Services | Now - This process can take several weeks to complete, so you should begin the process as quickly as you are able. | The purpose of BU's Office of Disability Services is to provide services and support to ensure that students of all abilities are able to access and participate in the opportunities available at Boston University. If you have a learning difference, or are differently abled in any way that requires assistance, you should begin securing that help now, so it will be available to you when classes begin. Review the Office of Disability Services website (www.bu.edu/disability) and note which services could be of help to you. When you are ready, send an email stating your need to the Office of Disability Services (access@bu.edu), copying the STH Admissions Office only if you choose to do so (sthadmis@bu.edu). The Office of Disability Services will work with you from there to complete the process. | Office of Disability Services, www.bu.edu/disability & 617-353-3658 (V/TTY), access@bu.edu | ASAP |
| Petition for Advanced Standing, if you have completed significant coursework in the biblical, theological or historical disciplines, and would like to do so. | Now | If you are an incoming MDiv, MSM, or MTS student, and if you have completed significant coursework in Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), New Testament, Church History, or Theology, you may apply for Advanced Standing in those disciplines. Advanced Standing means that, instead of taking an intro class in that discipline, you would be given the opportunity to skip the intro and instead take an advanced course in that discipline (ex. instead of "Intro to New Testament" you could choose to take "Jesus in the Gospels.") Please note: THIS DOES NOT REDUCE THE NUMBER OF COURSES YOU MUST TAKE IN YOUR PROGRAM; it does allow you to replace the intro course with a course of your choosing in that discipline. To petition you must send to the Admissions Office syllabi of all coursework you have completed in each discipline, plus a note stating in which disciplines you'd like advanced standing. Your syllabi will be sent to the faculty in each requested discipline for review. Once reviewed, the Admissions or Registrar's Office will inform you of the faculty decision in time for you to register for the appropriate courses this fall. Please note: review can take several weeks because faculty are away from campus during the summer, so the sooner you can turn in your paperwork, the better. | STH Admissions Office, sthadmis@bu.edu or 617-353-3036 | August 1st for Hebrew Bible and Church History, the two usual first semester courses; October 1st for New Testament and Theology, the two second semester courses. |
| 5. Decide what to do with your car | Once you secure housing for the fall | Most students moving to Boston do not need a car. If you have decided to live within the city of Boston or in surrounding neighborhoods (Brighton, Allston, Brookline), you do not need to bring a car. Public transportation (subway, busses) run regularly within the city. If you find an apartment with an available parking space, you may decide to bring your car; however, please consider commuting into the School of Theology for classes. Parking near Boston University is expensive and difficult to find. Please consider these things before deciding to bring a car into the city. | STH Admissions Office, sthadmis@bu.edu, 617-353-3036 | Before you move to Boston |
| 6. Learn about ZipCar | Now | ZipCar is a company that lets you rent cars by the hour, and many STH students use them to grocery shop or take day trips out of town, rather than bringing their car to campus. Learn more online: www.zipcar.com | www.zipcar.com | none |
| 7. Get a Public Transportation, or "T" Pass | Once you have secured housing | 1. learn which T stop is closest to your housing, and whether you will need to have a bus pass, subway pass or "combo" pass that includes both subway and bus. 2. visit www.mbta.com for a list of bus lines and subway stations and map your route to the School of Theology (STH is located at the "BU Central" stop on the Green, B-line of the subway.) 3. Visit BU's parking services website and learn about the student discount for a semester's worth of T-passes. http://www.bu.edu/parking/t-passes/student-tpass.html | BU's Parking Services, through their website www.bu.edu/parking or Telephone (617) 353-2160 | August 13th, 2008 |
| 8. If you decide to bring a car into Boston, decide if you will need an on-campus parking sticker | Once you decide whether or not to bring your car to campus | Consult www.bu.edu/parking for plans, costs, etc. There are both resident and commuter parking plans available, but all plans tend to be fairly expensive. | BU Parking Services, through the website www.bu.edu/parking or (617) 353-2160. | Before moving to Boston |
| If necessary, submit a complete transcript to the Admissions Office. | Now | If you are a May 2008 graduate of an undergraduate or graduate program, and you have not sent a final, complete transcript from your previous institution indicating your final GPA and graduation date, please do so. You have already been admitted to the School of Theology, so this transcript will not change or alter your status in any way. The Admissions Office simply needs a final transcript to indicate that you have completed your previous program. Contact the Registrar at your previous institution & have an official copy sent to STH Admissions Office, 745 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215. | Admissions Office, sthadmis@bu.edu, 617-353-3036 | August 31st |
| Begin to get to know your colleagues in the Fall 2008 Entering Class! | Now | Log in to Facebook, and search for the group, "STH Fall 2008 Entering Class." Join the group and greet your colleagues! Several returning students and administrators also belong to the group, and will be happy to receive friend requests and messages with questions from incoming students. All in all, it's a great place to connect with the STH community before you arrive! | Admissions Office, sthadmis@bu.edu or 617-353-3036 | No deadline |
| *Update your Summer Address | Now | If you have recently moved for the summer, the STH Admissions Office needs to know how to be in touch with you! If you haven't already done so, update the office on your summer address, email address, phone number, etc., by sending a quick email to sthadmis@bu.edu. | STH Admissions Office, sthadmis@bu.edu, 617-353-3036 | ASAP |
| 1. Confirm your Admission! | Now | The Admissions Office sends an "Admissions Confirmation Sheet" (half-page, white form with yellow carbon copy attached) in each formal Admissions letter. We need you to send this piece of paper back to the Admissions Office, signed and dated, in order to process you in the system as a "Confirmed Entering Student." If you are not in the system as "confirmed," your financial aid, web access, and other items cannot be processed by the School, so this is a very important step. If you have not yet done so, please confirm your intentions of joining us this fall by completing that form and sending it to us! If you are unsure whether you have confirmed your admission or not (or if you've lost the confirmation form), please email sthadmis@bu.edu and confirm your intention to begin your degree program this September. Thank you! | STH Admissions Office, sthadmis@bu.edu, 617-353-3036 | July 15th |
| If in the "Bridge Program," contact CELOP & Take an English Course | Now | Some students for whom English is not a native language have been admitted to the School of Theology through the "Bridge Program." (This information was on these students' letters of admission, so if you did not receive information about the Bridge Program on your letter of admission, this does not apply to you.) Bridge Program students have been asked to take a course in the English language over the summer in order to re-take the TOEFL before classes begin this fall. If you are among the students in the Bridge Program, you should contact the Center for English Language and Orientation Programs (CELOP) at Boston University (www.bu.edu/celop) to apply and register for an English class this summer. | www.bu.edu/celop for course dates and registration | This summer |
| Check your Email for Early Bird Computing information | Now | Each student who has confirmed her or his admission with the Admissions Office (by sending in the white "STH Admissions Confirmation Form") has been sent an email from Victoria Gaskell with information about the University's Early Bird Computing Program. This program enables students matriculating in September to have access to the University's online services that require a BU Login Name and Kerberos password. Victoria's email will include your BU ID# and early bird access code. You can learn more information, including how to log in to online student services, at http://www.bu.edu/computing/earlybird/. If you did not receive this email, contact sthadmis@bu.edu or send in your "STH Admissions Confirmation Form" to confirm your admission! | http://www.bu.edu/computing/earlybird/ or Victoria at STH Admissions, sthadmis@bu.edu and 617-353-3036 | No deadline |
| Complete and submit a Health Insurance Waiver Form to Student Accounting Services, if necessary. | Anytime between June 30th and August 14th | All incoming students will be assessed a fee to participate in the University's Student Medical Insurance program. Any student who does not wish to participate in the student medical insurance plan must file a Medical Insurance Waiver Form with the University's Student Accounting Services Office. Incoming students may only complete the student health insurance waiver form if they are covered by another medical insurance plan, and are willing to take all responsibility for additional medical costs. You can learn more about the student health insurance plan and waiver form here: http://www.bu.edu/comp/saweb/medins.html. An updated "2008-2009" waiver form will be uploaded to the site as of June 30th, 2008. If you choose to complete the waiver form, please do so using the 2008-2009 form. The waiver must be submitted by August 14th to avoid a medical insurance charge on your account. | Boston University Student Accounting Services, studenta@bu.edu or (617)353-2264 | August 14th |
| Optional: Participate in University's Early Bird Computing program | Now | If you have confirmed your admission with the Admissions Office (see item #1), you should have been sent an email with your BU ID# (the number starts with a "U") and instructions about how to log on to the University's pages through the "Early Bird" system. If you did not receive this email, make sure you have confirmed your admission to STH. If you have, call or email Victoria in the Admissions Office, and she can provide your UID# and log in information for the Early Bird Program. | Victoria Gaskell in the Admissions Office, sthadmis@bu.edu or 617-353-3036 OR, if you'd like to learn more about the program: http://www.bu.edu/computing/earlybird/ | Before Orientation on Thursday, August 28th |
| Decide your Health Insurance Plan for the 2008-2009 school year | Now | Every student enrolled in a degree program at Boston University must have health insurance. This is Massachusetts state law and University policy. The University assumes that all students plan to opt into the University's Student Health Insurance Program, and will charge your student account $1466 next fall semester for a year's worth of health insurance coverage unless you tell them not to do so. If you would prefer not to use the University's health insurance plan, you may complete the "Medical Insurance Waiver" form, stating that you have alternative medical insurance. The waiver form can be found online at: http://www.bu.edu/comp/saweb/images/WAIVER.pdf | To learn more about your health insurance options or how to complete the waiver form: http://www.bu.edu/comp/saweb/medins.html If you have questions about the billing process, contact the University's Student Accounting Services Office: http://www.bu.edu/comp/saweb/index.html or studenta@bu.edu or (617)353-2264 . | Medical Insurance Waiver must be received by Student Accounting Services by August 14, 2008. If you choose to opt into the Student Health Insurance program, you do not have to do anything; coverage will begin for you on August 23rd, 2008. |
